Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-09-06

DR.. Davis ssid: II is bound to be un
satisfactory and unfsyorsble. have
been here seven or eight months, and
made ny rounds daily. The witness tes-
tined IS 10 Dorsett's professional illness,
but lodged the question CT competency
IN the matter Of disposition sud conduct.
DIT. Dorset is 81 times eXCjtable and
nervous and speskS before le thinks.
The eject OF this kind OF temper is
bad. The Cliicers and ette-Gauts are
atra-d 10 20 70 him Tor fear
OF insult CT OF having their feelings hurt.
have nothing to do with the admission
or discharge OF pstients. L know nothing
Of the discharges. l remember the case
OF the Mexican named Lopez He is
dead. don't remember whether I treat
ed him, the ward book will show. There
IS distinction in the place Of officers
eating, the superintendent, first assist
ant aad steward eat upstairs. DR.. Dor
sett's illness as physician is good. The
question OF his moral character was
brought up by Colonel Robertson.
O9lscled TO by Mr. WOOteu and argued
and the objection sustained.
AT times his disposition and tempara-
meEt, language and actions have an IN
favorable effect. | never knew DR.. Dor
sett till We came here. The same remarks
made by him if msde by me to majority
Of persons would have insuIted them. lie
did not use tue same manner 20 the first
physician as to myself. There is no cool
ness on my part to Dorset. | don't
talk with him because when | do so in
me interest Of the institution he speaks
in j manner to offend snd wound and |
preferred TO save myself from insult.
Mr.. Bull said I would lust have 10 talk
/ back TO him. that's the way he did.
OlheT attendants have slsO complained 10
me that he would speak to them in 8
manner to mortify their feelings. | tried
TO pacify the patients and heal over their
wounded feelings, as [ thought it Was
my duty. This condition has continued
of and on ever since he has been mere
| There was confusion among the sttend-
ants when he came in. 1t took some
time to restore confidence, and in some
cases it IS not yet restored.
/ DR.. DOrsett's Instructions to me
| were to assure them they should
rot be uniustly treated by any officers
/ immediately over them. II is his man
ner Of speaking and his actions that leads
me 10 the belief that MS influence is IN
| favorable. He instanced cases Of his
rough manner OF speaking harshly to lady
attendants who asked for passes. He
| didn't know what they wanted TO be run
ming down town for. He didn't know
what business they had there. He also
harshly reprOyed attendants in the pres
enCa of company. Attendants say they
hated to come to Dr.. Dorset 'or passes en-
account Of his way of speaking to them
The dissatisfaction grows in some cases
out of a fear of losing their
places and n other cases from
regret at Dorsett's manner OF
speaking. | have never mentioned this
to DR.. DOrsett. have done everything
| could to make Dorsett's administration
| q success. The manner il which Dr.
! Dorset speaks to attendants has 3 tend
encY to prevent them going to him 10
consult with aim and report matters to
| him. It has had that effect on me. My
relations with Or. Dorset are friendly. |
have always carried out his instructions
accurately. His manner at the Deaf and
| Dumb Asylum was excited. The Condi-
| ton " uneasiness existing naturally
makes hardship on both sides. l came
| here in February. The Deaf and Dumb
| dinner YVES after the school had closed and
| that was the first time | had
gone out. The dissatisfaction at the be
ginning was OF the incoming matr0n
principally. Another cause on the part
of few was that there would be q weed
| ing out. The dissatisfaction now is diff
ferent. The rule has been to get permits
sion to pluck flowers from the garden.
That was my understanding.
Dr.. Denton Sworn | am physician
and surgeon snd have been since 5GG.
was superintendent of this institution for
four years. | consider myself familiar
with the methods and management Of
the insane. The use OF violence, COer-
cion and harsh treatment is not permit
ted now in any institution of this
character in the United S.ates.
There has been great change
J in this respect of late years. Violence
and harsh Language are not permitted un-
der snY circumstances.
By Wooten: Would slapping pa
| tient be harsh treatment
Colonel Robertson objected. The o.
! lection Cverruled.
| Denton: 1t most assuredly should not
| be permitted nor should violence or
threatening language be allowed. Lopez
and Roberts were here. Roberts Was
regarded as the most dangerous
man in the asylum. a history of each
patient is kept in the case books, and in
many instances the record shows only
the form of insanity. l don't remember
much CT the history of Roberts. His
character was known to all the male at
PENDANTS. Lopez had acute mama. he
was q Imeddler, always interfering with
others and mischlevous. Lopez was llv-
ing and in good health when left here.
I was told in April that he was dead, and
that Dick Roberts killed him. Mr..
Walker, the Supervisor, told me this.
asked him how long he had been dead,
and ne said about ten days. He
said he was confined to his
bed from the time he was
hurt, and was confined about
ten days. l would consider it imprudent
to allow Roberts and Lopez together.
Such an occurrence is liable to happen
however. l usually kept Roberts under
restraint. l have heard he had com
mitted homicide before coming to the
asylum. DR.. Dorsett told me his inten-
ton was to retain Doctors Bennett
and Maxwell and the Other
officers. They were not retained.
heard Dr.. Dorset say the board and The
Governor objected to their retention anC